Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/145179
4A Daily News – Saturday, July 20, 2013 Opinion Kaer Avenue DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U NTY S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes letters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All letters must be signed and provide the writer's home street address and home phone number. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submitted will be considered for publication. Letters will be edited. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. Editor: I find it appalling when tax paying residents of Kaer Avenue and other areas in Red Bluff cannot get law enforcement to act regarding these illegal homeless encampments. There are local ordinances that need to be enforced. Camping is illegal in these areas and certainly trespassing is also illegal as well as drug dealing. Do your jobs and enforce these ordinance every day so they don't get out of hand as they are now. When children are not safe in their own neighborhoods then its time for the citizens to form a committee and demand that the powers that be do their jobs, this includes, city, sheriff, Cal trans, fire department, fish and game, where are they? I think our waterways are polluted beyond safety, certainly all the animals and creatures are endangered by these encampments. Isn't it their job to protect our wildlife and the waterways from destruction? I believe the law says a 24 hour notice can be given to the encampment to disband and then action can be taken to remove all tents and belongings. It is way past time for action to be done by law enforcement not just say "we are working on it." The citizens of Red Bluff that want this problem addressed need to go to City Council meetings, Board of Supervisor meetings, and stand up and makes some noise. Continue insisting that law enforcement rectify this problem. Of course there will be those that will continue to insist we On the Web www.redbluffdailynews.com Fax Newsroom: 527-9251 Classified: 527-5774 Retail Adv.: 527-5774 Legal Adv.: 527-5774 Business Office: 527-3719 Address 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080, or P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 Branding for Red Bluff Editor: The branding of Red Bluff seems to be on the civic conscience lately. Not the homeless issue, after all that's been taken care of, so our city and county leaders would have us believe, by avoiding the issue. So now onto the Branding of Red Bluff, after all Corning has the quintessential brand of olive leaves. Just right for Corning. My suggestion for Red Bluff would be a 5-pointed star with a question mark in the middle. The five points of the star would represent the five law enforcement entities — sheriff's department, police department, Highway Patrol, Fish and Game and the district attorney's office. Being 20 percent underfunded, law enforcement still seems to be a visible presence. Most citizens of Red Bluff and people from Oregon to Mexico are aware of a small town with major police presence and yet crime goes on. As for the question mark in the middle, that would represent our county supervisors and city council who's indecisiveness on major issues is overwhelming, without a doubt questionable. Joseph Ostrowski, Red Bluff turn. My sister-in-law who voted for him still can't believe he's doing this. She keeps asking me why? She's been a Democrat all her voting life. Today a young woman in a medical building elevator on her phone was complaining that she makes less today than Editor: she did four years ago. Tuesday's cartoon, Your She most likely has a on the Opinion page, decent job and salary is completely off base. and benefits, maybe Mr. Zimmerman she should count her was not given a "get blessings because it out of jail free card." isn't going to get any better. He was tried by a jury, in a court When small companies start cutof law, and based on the evi- ting hours and all that they will dence, found not guilty. have to do to escape the AffordJerry Wilson, Red Bluff able Care Plan or pay penalties and when those employees have to go to exchanges and buy coverage at who knows what cost, this will be the wake-up call for all those that voted for this comEditor: This morning on a TV chan- munity organizer. Time will tell. There's so nel that I trust, I heard the Obama Administration will be much corruption, etc. in our hiring 22,000 navigators at government I think it will take salaries up to $48 an hour. These riots like in Egypt to get these navigators will help people in people out of power. They will choosing their medical plans, stoop to any level to achieve etc. They don't have to be certi- their goal. Bernice Cressy, fied, I assume they will be Cottonwood trained. I can't imagine how much this will cost we taxpayers because the insurance companies won't pay this. Editor: When he ran for President the Because he was a young first time, his promise was to African American man. Whereunite, treat all fairly, blah, blah, as, his murderer was and is caublah. Hope and change. Some- casian goes free, at the moment. thing we all want and need. All This is in fact a pure case of that has happened is he and his racial bigotry and reflects the party have divided every aspect attitudes of such a large majoriin our country and now we're ty of white America. having more racism than we've America you should hang had in 50 years. What a dis- your heads in shame. grace. He takes sides at every Robert Hogan, Red Bluff Cartoon off base Turn Job opportunities Trayvon Martin Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Dan Logue, 1550 Humboldt Road, Ste. 4, Chico, CA 95928, 530-895-4217 STATE SENATOR — Jim Nielsen, 2635 Forest Ave., Ste. 110, Chico, CA 95928, (530) 879-7424, senator.nielsen@senate.ca.gov GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 5583160; E-mail: governor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Doug LaMalfa 506 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, 202-2253076. U.S. SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 3930710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224-0454. Mission Statement We believe that a strong community newspaper is essential to a strong community, creating citizens who are better informed and more involved. The Daily News will be the indispensible guide to life and living in Tehama County. We will be the premier provider of local news, information and advertising through our daily newspaper, online edition and other print and Internet vehicles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its communities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the residents and businesses of Tehama County. How to reach us Main office: 527-2151 Classified: 527-2151 Circulation: 527-2151 News tips: 527-2153 Sports: 527-2153 Obituaries: 527-2151 Photo: 527-2153 need a homeless shelter which in realty do not work, shelters bring more homeless to the area and 90 percent of the homeless will continue to live in illegal encampments. Take a look at Redding, perfect example of a shelter and more and more illegal encampments. If our local agencies do their jobs and enforce the ordinance on a daily basis perhaps the problem will move on. Sharon Eliggi, Red Bluff Commentary Noise, noise, noise This column is shorter than usual this week; I have been suffering from grandparent fatigue. In the early fall of 1977 my father in law and I took a day to go fishing at Lake Shasta; we hooked up our boat and hauled it to Packers' Point, arriving at just the start of a freak rain storm and we immediately returned home to enjoy the shelter of our house before he and my mother in law proceeded on their trip to the Northwest. On the way home he said to me, "Sometimes, Joe, when you go fishing, you don't go fishing." His message seemed cryptic at the time; he may have been referring to the only other time we had gone out in the boat. That time we attempted to get to Supan Rriffle when the coil on the motor died, he did the splits leaping onto a rock but managed to stay out of the water. , I gulped about what my wife and mother in law might think, and we had to be towed back to Red Bluff by the Sherriff's boat. He passed away during that vacation, the first he had taken since he retired after closing his drug store in San Francisco at age 71. Two years later my mother in law began a family tradition that lasted over a decade. She decided to rent a beach house in Newport Beach and have her three daughters and their families join her for a week on the beach. The eight grandchildren, their grandmother, and the six parents shared various beach houses over that time span; some years there was only one bathroom. The age span of the eight children was eight years, and the three sisters did not always share the same parenting style. It made for some "interesting" situations. To this day, over 25 years after the last family beach gathering, our children and their cousins still talk about the times at Newport Beach with great delight and fondness. For the adults not all the memories were so fond because of the difficulty in keeping things organized and coordinated and sheltering Grandma from too much confusion. This year we re-enacted that family gathering at our house, five grandchildren and their parents. We stocked up food, toilet paper, facial tissues, and sun- screen in preparation. We care- School. If you have young fully planned sleeping children or young arrangements and purgrandchildren, you chased age appropriate may be familiar with toys. We got "floaties" the songs of Tom for the three boys Chapin. One of my under five who loved favorites is Cousins. being in the pool. We The song begins, purchased a good sup"Cousins, Cousins, ply of diapers and Here comes the boys; "swimmies." We put mischief, mayhem, away treasures that noise, noise, noise." might be attractive We experienced nuisances. We borJoe that "noise, noise, rowed futons and car noise" first hand this seats from friends. The week. It was a joyful weather even cooperatnoise. We were ed by staying warm but exhausted at the end not unreasonably hot. Having three bathrooms was of the week, but we were happy definitely a plus. We did overes- and contented, and we believe timate the size of our garbage our grandchildren and their parenjoyed themselves can, but fortunately a neighbor ents immensely. let us use his extra capacity. This was the first time our The grandchildren splashed in the pool, built impossible three children and their families structures from miscellaneous had been home in Red Bluff materials in the backyard, mold- together since they were mared play dough, drew family pic- ried. We are already planning tures, and got along very well. another "reunion." Some even napped during the Joe Harrop is a retired afternoon. While they were here educator with more than 30 our children were able to make connections to Red Bluff years of service to the North friends, and share stories of State. He can be reached at their lives after Red Bluff High DrJoeHarrop@sbcglobal.net. Harrop